Systems and method for routing optical signals

Abstract

Systems and a method for routing optical signals are disclosed. One system includes a first large core hollow metal waveguide configured to guide a substantially coherent optical beam. A second large core hollow waveguide is optically coupled to the first waveguide with a coupling device. The coupling device is configured to divide the coherent optical beam into a transmitted beam and a reflected beam. Beam walk-off within the coupling device causes the transmitted beam to be shifted by an offset amount. The second large core hollow metal waveguide is shifted from the first large core hollow metal waveguide by approximately the offset amount to receive the shifted transmitted beam.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for routing optical signals, comprising:
 a first large core hollow metal waveguide to guide a substantially coherent optical beam in a first direction; 
 a coupling device optically coupled to the first waveguide to divide the coherent optical beam into a transmitted beam in the first direction and a reflected beam, wherein beam walk-off within the coupling device causes the transmitted beam to be shifted by an offset amount; 
 a second large core hollow metal waveguide optically coupled to the coupling device to receive the shifted transmitted beam; and 
 a first support frame portion supporting the first large core hollow metal waveguide and a second support frame portion supporting the second large core hollow metal waveguide to form a shift between the first large core hollow metal waveguide and the second large core hollow metal waveguide, the shift being approximately the offset amount. 
 
     
     
       2. A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the first large core hollow metal waveguide is included in a first block and the second large core hollow metal waveguide is included in a second block. 
     
     
       3. A system as in  claim 2 , wherein the second block is offset from the first block by approximately the offset amount by a step formed between the first support frame portion and the second support frame portion. 
     
     
       4. A system as in  claim 3 , further comprising a waveguide support frame including the first support frame portion and the second support frame portion and including the step between the first block and the second block, with a height of the step being substantially equal to the offset amount to allow the shifted transmitted beam to be directed into the at least one hollow metal waveguide in the second block. 
     
     
       5. A system as in  claim 2 , wherein the shift between the first large core hollow metal waveguide and the second large core hollow metal waveguide is formed by a difference in thickness between the first and second blocks to create an offset between the first and second hollow metal waveguides to allow the shifted transmitted beam from the first large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block to travel into the second large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block. 
     
     
       6. A system as in  claim 2 , wherein the shift between the first large core hollow metal waveguide and the second large core hollow metal waveguide is formed by a difference in height between the first large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block and the second large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block to allow the shifted transmitted beam from the first large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block to travel into the second large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block. 
     
     
       7. A system as in  claim 3 , wherein the first block, the second block, and the waveguide support frame are integrated in a single structure, with a step occurring between the first large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block and the second large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block. 
     
     
       8. A system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a third large core hollow metal waveguide optically coupled to the coupling device and operable to receive the reflected beam from the coupling device. 
     
     
       9. A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the coherent optical beam is produced by a light source selected from the group consisting of a single mode laser, a multimode laser, and a light emitting diode. 
     
     
       10. A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the coherent optical beam is collimated. 
     
     
       11. A waveguide system for routing optical signals, comprising:
 a first block containing at least one large core hollow metal waveguide to guide a substantially coherent optical beam in a first direction; 
 a beam splitter configured to split the optical beam in each of the at least one waveguides into a transmitted beam in the first direction and a reflected beam, wherein beam walk-off within the beam splitter causes the transmitted beam to be shifted by an offset amount; 
 a second block containing at least one large core hollow metal waveguide, wherein the at least one large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block is offset from the at least one large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block by approximately the offset amount to receive the shifted transmitted beam from each of the at least one large core hollow metal waveguides in the first block; and 
 a waveguide support frame operable to carry the first block, the beam splitter, and the second block. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a step in the waveguide support frame between the first block and the second block, with a height of the step being substantially equal to the offset amount to allow the shifted transmitted beam to be directed into the at least one large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first block and second block have a difference in thickness to create an offset between the at least one large core hollow metal waveguides in each of the respective blocks to allow the shifted transmitted beam from each large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block to travel into each of the at least one large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a third large core hollow metal waveguide optically coupled to the beam splitter and operable to receive the reflected beam from the beam splitter. 
     
     
       15. A method for routing optical signals, comprising:
 directing a coherent optical beam in a first direction into a first large core hollow waveguide having a reflective coating covering an interior of the first large core hollow waveguide; 
 splitting the optical beam into a transmitted beam in the first direction and a reflected beam in a beam splitter, wherein beam walk-off within the beam splitter causes the transmitted beam to be shifted laterally by an offset amount; and 
 coupling the transmitted beam into a second large core hollow waveguide having a reflective coating covering an interior of the second large core hollow waveguide with a coupling device, 
 wherein the first large core hollow waveguide is supported by a first support frame portion and the second large core hollow waveguide is supported by a second support frame portion such that a shift is formed between the first large core hollow metal waveguide and the second large core hollow metal waveguide, the shift being approximately the offset amount. 
 
     
     
       16. The method as in  claim 15 , wherein the first large core hollow metal waveguide is included in a first block and the second large core hollow metal waveguide is included in a second block. 
     
     
       17. A method as in  claim 16 , wherein the second block is offset from the first block by approximately the offset amount by a step formed between the first support frame portion and the second support frame portion. 
     
     
       18. A method as in  claim 17 , wherein the first support frame portion and the second support frame portion are part of a waveguide support frame, the waveguide support frame including the step between the first block and the second block, with a height of the step being substantially equal to the offset amount to allow the shifted transmitted beam to be directed into the at least one hollow metal waveguide in the second block. 
     
     
       19. A method as in  claim 16 , wherein the shift between the first large core hollow metal waveguide and the second large core hollow metal waveguide is formed by a difference in thickness between the first and second blocks to create an offset between the first and second hollow metal waveguides to allow the shifted transmitted beam from the first large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block to travel into the second large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block. 
     
     
       20. A method as in  claim 16 , wherein the shift between the first large core hollow metal waveguide and the second large core hollow metal waveguide is formed by a difference in height between the first large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block and the second large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block to allow the shifted transmitted beam from the first large core hollow metal waveguide in the first block to travel into the second large core hollow metal waveguide in the second block.